Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has often been referred to as a totemic figure. The statuesque Dutch centre back has been a constant pillar of Liverpool’s modern success. But now his role as the unmoving pillar helping to hold the Merseyside club up is perhaps now more prevalent than ever. Liverpool have endured a period of drastic change in recent years, but the stalwart performances of Van Dijk have provided a vital link to the glories of the Jurgen Klopp era.
Over the past three summers some huge figures have left Anfield. Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to name just a few. Players who were a crucial part of the Premier League triumph in 2019/20 and the Champions League win the year before. Many were still around for the domestic cup double of 2021/22. In short, this was the heart of Liverpool’s greatest era since the 1980s.
Those players are gone now and others have stepped into the breach. Striker Darwin Nunez is not a like-for-like alternative to either Firmino or Mane but he has given Liverpool’s attack a new dimension. Diogo Jota’s positional elasticity makes him more of a Mane avatar, but even then the pair dovetailed well before Sadio’s departure. Dominik Szoboslai and Alexis Mac Allister offer different looks in the midfield, while surprising signing Wataru Endo and loanee Ryan Gravenberch are bedding in there too. In many ways, it’s all change at Anfield.
But in other ways it’s more of the same, particularly if you look at Liverpool’s weekend Merseyside derby win over Everton. The 2-0 victory came courtesy of a pair of Mohamed Salah goals. So far, so 2019. But it was another blast from the recent past who stood out in defence: Virgil van Dijk.
It was another commanding performance from the Netherlands international, who has looked close to his best form this season. As Liverpool endured a wretched 2022/23 campaign, eventually rallying to finish fifth in the table, Van Dijk looked at times like a shadow of the player he was in his prime years. He turned 32 in July and while that is not old for a centre back, the fact he has often leaned on his pace as a defender did cause concern. Could ‘VVD’ adapt his game to lessen the blow of his advancing years?
This season he has made a mockery of such critiques. Once again he is being included in conversations surrounding the best centre backs in the world. He is no longer the undisputed winner of such debates, but the fact he has returned to the discussion is encouraging.
Saturday was a fine entry into his expansive portfolio. In a game where Everton’s Ashley Young was sent off and Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate arguably should have been, he was an oasis of calm at the heart of the back line. A cool head, a reliable mover of the ball and the defence bedrock of an important victory. The Merseyside derby means everything and Van Dijk made sure his teammates knew that.
Van Dijk took on the Liverpool captaincy after Jordan Henderson departed for Al-Ettifaq. The honour seems to have rejuvenated the 32-year-old. The club is in the middle of a reshuffle but he, along with the likes of Salah, are a constant reminder of the standards of Liverpool Football Club. After a difficult season last term, Van Dijk is back to setting those standards.
